Slidable jaw insert for crescent head wrenches



D. L. LANE Dec. 21, 1954 SLIDABLE JAW INSERT FOR CRESCENT HEAD WRENCHES Filed NOV. 16, 1955 United States Patent SLTDABLE JAW TNSERT FOR CRESCENT HEAD WRENCHES David L. Lane, Chicago, Ill.

Application November 16, 1953, Serial No. 392,360

1 Claim. (Cl. 81-179) My invention relates to a novel improvement in wrenches of the slip and grip type, namely, the wrench when operated in one direction will grasp a threaded element to be tightened or loosened, and conversely when operated in a contra direction will either loosen or tighten a threaded element respectively, in accordance wlth the direction of rotation of the wrench means.

An important object of my invention is to provide in a wrench of the aforementioned character a handle portion and a head portion having two wrench jaw portions, one of the said wrench jaw portions being slotted so as to confine therein a wedge-shaped element which is spring-urged, normally maintaining the same in a posltron providing the maximum opening between the wedge-like element and the remaining jaw for gripping a threaded element, the said slotted portion having an angular bottom surface to operate in concert with the angular portion of the said wedge-like means or element so as to increase or reduce the distance between the operative surface of the said wedge-like element and its component, the said wrench jaw portion.

Another object of my invention is to provide in a wrench jaw a sliding wedge-like element having a slotted portion in order to confine its ambital movements and a pin for locating and retaining the said wedge-like element in assembly and in intimate sliding contact with the bottom of the recess in which it is confined.

Another object of my invention is to provide a wrench of the aforementioned character, being of simple elemental construction, practical for the purposes for which it is to be used, and structure of such elemental assembly as to lend itself toward economical manufacture in quantity production.

Other objects and ancillary advantages inherent in my invention will become apparent from an examination of the accompanying drawings, bearing further elucidation in the ensuing description, wherein like symbols are used to designate like parts, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wrench structure improved with the structural elements comprising my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged cross-sectional view, showing in detail the assembly of the spring means for urging the wedge-like element normally in position whereby it is spaced furthest apart from the component jaw element with which it operates.

Referring to the various views my invention is generaliy designated 3, and consists of a handle portion 4 and a head portion 5 terminating in spaced apart jaws 6 and 7. The jaw 6 is of conventional construction whereas the jaw 7 is slightly modified by having a recessed portion 8 machined therein so that the same will have end confining walls 10 and 9.

It will also be noted that the bottom of the recess 8 is angularly related and is not parallel to the surface of the jaw gripping portion 19. The reason therefor will become apparent as the specification and explanation proceed hereinafter,

Within the recess 8 is confined a wedge-like element 14 having a slotted portion 17 and an angular surface 16 of the same degree of angularity with respect to its surface 18 as the angularity of the bottom 20 of the recess 8, so that when the said wedge-shaped element 14 is slidably motivated within the recess 8, it will increase or decrease the dimension between the surface 18 and the gripping surface 19, thus enlarging the space for the slipping 2,697,372 Patented Dec. 21, 1954 action to be imparted to the wrench, and likewise narrowing, or decreasing, the distance between the surfaces 18 and 19, for gripping a thread-like element 15.

In order to confine the wedge-like element 14 in proper slidable relationship whereby its angular surface 16 is at all times in intimate contacting relationship with the bottom 20 of the machined recess 8, 1 provide an angularly positioned slotted portion 17, which is parallel to the angular surface 16, the same being confined in place by a pin 24, so as to permit instantaneous assembly or dismantling for replacement of parts, or repairs.

At the bottom surface 12 of the wedge-like element 14 is a bore 21 in alignment with a bore 11 in the end surface 9 of the recess 8, in order to confine the spring element 13, which normally would urge the wedge-like element 14 so as to maintain it in contactual relationship with the end surface 10 of the machined recess 8. Thus, when the wrench is positioned about a thread-like element 15, such as the hexagonal nut illustrated in phantom lines to tighten the same or to loosen the same, the wrench is motivated in the direction of the arrow 22, or clockwise in order to effectuate gripping between the surfaces 18 and 19 of the nut element 15. In intermittently operating the wrench counter-clockwise in the direction of the arrow 23 the wedge-like element will be urged upwardly and thus enlarge the confines between surfaces 18 and 19, allowing the wrench to be inoperative, or to afford a slipping action for grabbing succeeding flats of the nut 1:, and thus cause a tightening or loosening of the nut element 15.

If the wrench element 3 is reversed, namely, with the aw 7 placed under a threaded element 15, and the conventional jaw 6 placed above, the function of the operation of the wrench will be contra to that hereinbefore explained, namely, when the wrench is rotated clockwise it will loosen a threaded element, and when rotated counter-clockwise in the direction of the arrow 23 it will tighten a threaded element, that is, if the threaded element has a right handed thread. The converse of the foregoing explanation will take place if the threaded element has a left handed thread.

While I have illustrated and described what I now regard as the preferred form of construction, it is to be understood that I expressly reserve the right to make all such changes or modifications as may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described and revealed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a slip grip type of wrench, comprising a handle portion extending to form a crescent head portion termiating m a pair of parallel wrench jaw portions, and having a recessed portion interiorly of one of the said jaw portions and angularly related thereto; a wedge-like jaw insert slidably confined in the said recessed portion and having an angularly formed face in intimate contact with the bottom of the said recessed portion; holding means for retaining slidably and removably the said wedge-like element; the said holding means including a slotted portion in the said wedge-like jaw insert and parallel to the said angularly formed face; drilled means in the side walls of the said recessed portion; pin means passing through the said drilled means and the said slotted portion; and spring means confined between an end of the said recessed portion and an end of the said wedge-like jaw insert normally urging the said wedge-like jaw insert to inoperative position, the said wedge-like jaw insert having its free surface parallel to the other of said jaw portlons.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 489,822 Martin Jan. 10, 1893 1,380,052 Fowble May 31, 1921 1,423,793 Green July 25, 1922 1,663,920 Peterson Mar. 27, 1928 2,386,444 De Graw Oct. 9, 1945 2,600,693 Rutherford June 17, 1952 

